Thoughts on freedom as we approach the celebration of another Independence Day:
From the beginning the Creator allowed human beings their freedom and a free will; they were bound only by the law of his commandment. St. Gregory the Theologian (Orations 14.25 ["On Caring for the Poor"], PG 35:892A)
Freedom means being one's own master and ruling oneself; this is the gift that God granted … [Read more...]

In the most emphatic fashion, reports the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, the Church of Greece’s Holy Synod yesterday declared its opposition to the government’s bid to give unmarried couples greater rights by stating that any form of relationship other than a couple married in an Orthodox Church is tantamount to “prostitution.”
The Synod said that a draft law under consideration constituted a … [Read more...]

In his latest podcast on Ancient Faith Radio, Fr. Thomas Hopko looks at Great Lent as the "tithe of the year," during which believers try to be what they ought always to be. Fr. Tom, an advisor to AOI, shares his Lenten maxims, the things a believer would do if they were really a believer and wanted to live as God wanted us to live.
At the top of Fr. Tom's list: "Be always with Christ. Trust … [Read more...]

Dr. Vigen Guroian delivered a talk on “Youth, Unity and Orthodoxy in America” at the 20th Anniversary Annual Meeting of Orthodox Christian Laity in Glenview, Illinois, in November. The theme of the OCL conference: “The Need for a Great and Holy Council.”
Here's Dr. Guroian (an advisor to AOI) on Orthodox youth:
The college or university is a synecdoche -- a metaphor – representing in … [Read more...]

Towards the end of his life, the 19th century Russian philosopher Vladimir Solovyov published his "On the Justification of the Good: An Essay on Moral Philosophy" (1897). In this book, wrote historian Paul Valliere, Solovyov abandonded his vision of a "worldwide theocratic order" in favor of the more concrete demands of building a just society. With "Justification of the Good," Solovyov … [Read more...]

Here's a great resource for Orthodox Christian educators. The popular Come Receive the Light programming on the Orthodox Christian Network is archived along with a one-page study guide. These could be used in religious education classes and adult study groups. Those of us with wireless access at churches could listen to the archived program on a laptop and work through the study guide … [Read more...]

The current issue of Christian History & Biography magazine takes a look at Gnosticism, or what editors rightly label, "The Hunger for Secret Knowledge." The issue features an article by Fr. John Behr, dean and professor of patristics at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, which describes how the "Great Church" in the apostolic age was able to discern the truth about the Christian faith … [Read more...]

More than 500 people gathered at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in suburban Detroit last week to hear Metropolitan Kallistos Ware deliver a talk on "The Future of Orthodoxy in the United States." Metropolitan Ware's visit was sponsored by St. Andrew House -- Center for Orthodox Studies, also in Detroit.
The author of The Orthodox Church and The Orthodox Way told the assembly that "we … [Read more...]